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There's never a dull moment on Wall Street, especially when new tablets and old banks are in the way. Let's go over some of the items that will help shape the week ahead: The Kindle Fire, the Nook Tablet, and earnings reports from Sears, Gap, Hot Topic, Lowes Home Depot and Staples.

Despite the dismal economy, some investors have been snapping up teen retail stocks, driving their prices higher. But the combination of high fashion and high prices doesn't necessarily earn a company a premium price tag, or a place in a well-managed portfolio. Keep these metrics in mind to separate the bargains from the poseurs.

Two surprises in the finance biz: A small group of bond investors has thrown a wrench into Bank of America's massive mortgage securities settlement, while the Fed revealed a secret $15 billion loan it made to Goldman Sachs in 2008. But in retail, there are no bad surprises on same-store sales so far.